Treatment of acute exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease by antagonism of the il-20r

Abstract

The present invention relates to methods and pharmaceutical compositions for the treatment of acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. In particular, the present invention relates to a method of treating acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in a subject in need thereof comprising administering the subject with a therapeutically effective amount of an antagonist of IL-20 cytokines.

1 . A method of treating acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in a subject in need thereof comprising administering the subject with a therapeutically effective amount of an antagonist of IL-20 cytokines. 
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the acute exacerbation of COPD is caused by a bacterial infection, by a viral infection or by air pollution. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2  wherein the bacterial infection is due to  Streptococcus pneumoniae, Haemophilus influenzae , or  Moraxella catarrhalis.    
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the subject experienced an acute exacerbation of COPD or is at risk of experiencing an acute exacerbation of COPD. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the subject is a frequent exacerbator. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the treatment is a prophylactic treatment. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the antagonist of IL-20 cytokines is delivered to the respiratory tract. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the antagonist of IL-20 cytokines is administered to the subject in combination with an antiviral agent or an anti-bacterial agent. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the antagonist of IL-20 cytokines is an antibody directed against a IL-20 cytokine, an anti-sense nucleic acid molecule directed to an IL-20 cytokine, a small interfering RNA (siRNA) directed toward an nucleic acid encoding for a IL-20 cytokine, a microRNA directed toward a nucleic acid encoding for a IL-20 cytokine, an anti-antibody directed against a receptor of a IL-20 cytokine, an antisense nucleic acid molecule directed to a subunit of a receptor for a IL-20 cytokine, an siRNA or a microRNA directed to a nucleic acid encoding for a subunit of a receptor for a IL-20 cytokine. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the antagonist of IL-20 cytokines is an antibody. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the antagonist of IL-20 cytokines is selected from the group consisting of anti-IL-19 antibodies, anti-IL-20 antibodies, anti-IL-24 antibodies, anti-IL20R1 antibodies, and anti-IL20R2 antibodies. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the antagonist of IL-20 cytokines is a polypeptide which comprises all or a portion of the extracellular domains of an IL-20 receptor. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the antagonist of IL-20 cytokines is a polypeptide which comprises all or a portion of the extracellular domains of an IL-20 receptor which is fused to an immunoglobulin constant domain. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the antagonist of IL-20 cytokines comprises the extracellular domain of the IL-20R1 polypeptide and the extracellular domain of the IL-20RII which are covalently linked together. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14  wherein one extracellular domain has a constant region of a heavy chain of an immunoglobulin fused to its carboxy terminus and the other extracellular domain has a constant light chain of an immunoglobulin fused to its carboxy terminus such that the two polypeptides come together to form a soluble receptor and a disulfide bond is formed between the heavy and the light immunoglobulin chains.